Jan. 28, 2014

Pocomoke forward Wynesha Brittingham scored her 1,000th point against Parkside on Jan. 14 with an 18-point performance.

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Staff Writer

POCOMOKE CITY — Wynesha Brittingham has been the top scorer, a bench player, triple teamed and an integral part of her Pocomoke girls basketball team.

Now, through all the hills and valleys of an accredited career, the senior forward etched her name into Maryland state history by scoring her 1,000th point against Parkside on Jan. 14 with an 18-point performance.

“Throughout the week I was excited, but I wasn’t anxious that I wouldn’t get it,” Brittingham said. “At the beginning of the game, they told me how many points I needed. I thought it was possible to get.”

Head coach Gail Gladding watched the relief roll off the shoulders and face of Brittingham when they called the timeout to celebrate as the bench cleared to congratulate her.

Just like a power hitter in baseball sitting on 499 home runs, gripping the bat too tight and trying too hard, the backboard square must have started shrinking and the ball expanding as Brittingham neared her milestone.

Yeah that happened to her a little bit, Gladding said.

“I think if you think … ‘All I need is 14 points and that’ll be easy.’ You think that will be easy, and I can go out and just get them,” she said. “Then they miss a few shots and they get a little tighter and then tighter.”

But in the Parkside game, Gladding said Brittingham finally just seemed to forget about it and played the game.

It was a really nice moment for Gladding to witness, she said. One thing about Brittingham, she said, was that she accomplished this goal in basically three seasons after not playing too much on a stacked Pocomoke team Brittingham’s freshman year.

“They all knew it,” the veteran coach said. “As soon as we did the timeout, as soon as she scored, we called the timeout they all knew it. They ran and big hugs and high fives. She came over and the other team was up on their feet and excited for her. Everyone was excited about it and she was too, (with a) big big big smile.”

Gladding said Brittingham’s accomplishment is even more remarkable because the forward’s career points ball will go in the hall of fame case at Pocomoke surrounded by mostly guards.

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It is tougher as a forward because the player can’t create their own points as much, Gladding said. A guard can come down and shoot, but a forward needs to work to get open and get the pass from the point, she said.

Being Pocomoke’s star the last few years, she has seen all the crowded paint and double teams. But a little relief came when a younger friend joined her in the paint wars.

The Warriors’ other big girl, sophomore Dynaisha Christian, helped take some of the double teams away. If the opponent puts two on Brittingham, Christian scores and vice versa, Gladding said.

When Christian moved to Pocomoke a few years ago, she and Brittingham became very good friends, playing basketball together when Christian waas in sixth grade, even though Brittingham was in eighth.

When high school came around, everything clicked.

During practice, she’ll say something and everyone will just bust out laughing, Christian said. They joke around a lot and Brittingham is not afraid to crack jokes, but Christian said when she is on the court, she’s serious.

Brittingham has also helped Christian with some speedy post moves. So when Brittingham finally had her big moment, Christian said she could not be happier. She didn’t really express it, but she was smiling and very happy.

“She knew how close she was but she was like, ‘Oh my gosh I have to hit this, get that, get this.’ She wasn’t really struggling,” Christian said. “She knew she could do it. It was just the anxiety of it.”

Now, Brittingham, Christian and Gladding all can focus on the larger goal — the state playoffs.

Brittingham said the Warriors have to make every game count.

Asked whether she would want to average 50 points a game and total her career points above 1,500, but lose the state championship game, or average just 10 a game and win it all, Brittingham did not hesitate to answer.